Monday, September 26, 2011

Energy. I need a LOT of it. I remember on my last trip to Nicaragua my phone would die so I wouldn't be able to receive or make any calls. This wasn't too much of a problem, since I was with plenty of people with working phones. Now, m phone acts as a backup device for almost everything... including "cell phone services". So if it dies... I'm out of luck. Not anymore! :) Thanks to the great people at Energizer, I received a pretty cool little gadget that will help ensure my phone won't be without power on my trip.

I received the Energizer AP1201 Energy To Go iPhone Charger. This is no ordinary charger, its a charger that doubles as a skin for your iPhone. The case is made of recycled silicone rubber. Most of the back is a harder type of plastic and inside the bottom is where you'll find the 30-pin apple connection where you'll slide your phone into. This skin is meant to protect your phone while being a portable charger as well. The one con I have is that the skin itself attracts a lot of dust and lint. I don't usually have a case on my phone, I have a Tokidoki-theme sticker skin which protects it from scratches but not falls. So, the change is quite dramatic for me. It feels a bit thicker in my hand with the case on, as its a little more bulky around the middle, where the harder plastic is located. The charger is about 1/2" longer than the phone itself, but does not look or feel like a dramatic extension. On the contrary, its shaped to redirect sound to you while watching videos or movies.

I loved the packaging it came in, included inside was the Energizer AP1201 Portable Charger, the USB Charging Cable, a users manual and welcome card. The charger itself is great, very lightweight. Although its a bit bulkier, I have gotten used to it in the past month. It is non-slippery so my phone has not fallen out of my hands since using the AP1201. I do not use it on a daily basis, but have found that carrying it in my bag (fully charged) works out better for me when I won't be away from a power source for long. As for how much extra power its given me, I have estimated it at about 4-6-hours, depending on many things. With WIFI on and running a couple apps, browsing the internet and listening to music or watching youtube videos, I got at least an extra 4-hours. It was longer without the extra apps, youtube videos and/or WIFI. It is very reliable. The cut outs were cut cleanly, especially the wide cutout for the camera and flash. There is a cool feature hidden on the back plastic area of the AP1201; when you press the button on the bottom corner, blue LED lights will appear indicating how much energy is left on it. When pressed for about 2-3 seconds, a red LED light will appear and the AP1201 goes into "quick charge" mode, in which it charges your iPhone faster.

Overall, this Energizer AP1201 iPhone charger is a GREAT lightweight solution for me. It is travel-friendly and will serve me wonderfully on my trip in December. Although I do not like the fact that it easily attracts lint and dust, it keeps me in the loop by keeping my phone from dying. A huge thanks to Energizer for the chance to review this product and the Energizer Universal USB Wall & Car Chargers.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

...because students like to save too! Coupons, deals, early previews, reviews, giveaways and LIFE. My blog is a journey of my savings, helping others save and my exiting life in general :) After all, I am a Student Saving Bucks! :)

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About Me

I'm Ai Mei, a 26 y/o Latina-mix blogger and owner of Student-Saving-Bucks.com
I live in Los Angeles and am a College Student (Anthropology Major) who loves to save money, spend time with friends and family and review a plethora of products :)